The Moorings, in conjunction with other supporting partners, proudly sponsors Expedition Biosphere Fakarava, a marine mammal research and preservation initiative in Fakarava, a region of French Polynesia that’s designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve.
Photo Credits: Dr. Michael Poole.

The Moorings Sustainability Mission: We are dedicated to leading the industry in sustainable tourism initiatives and providing vacations that cause a minimal impact on the local environment, culture and people of our charter destinations while offering real economic benefit to local communities.

The Expedition Biosphere initiative further complements our effort to heighten environmental awareness globally and aid in the preservation of our destination’s cruising grounds for generations to come.

Expedition Biosphere - Team Mission

According to the recent evaluation by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), humpback whales in Oceania (the South Pacific) are in danger of extinction. Although most of Oceania’s humpback whale populations are presently surveyed by research teams, a vast region that may harbor an important population remains incredibly understudied—the Tuamotu and Gambier Islands of French Polynesia.
During September 2010, the team will conduct boat-based research surveys to establish whether this region constitutes an important breeding ground harboring a distinct stock of humpback whales.
The study will allow the team to obtain a more complete understanding of humpback whales in French Polynesia, which is crucial for the conservation and management of this species throughout Oceania.
The study will likewise furnish preliminary data on other species of whales and dolphins in the region, specifically in the area of Fakarava, classed by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve.

This project has three principal objectives:

1) Evaluate the presence of humpback whales in the Tuamotu and Gambier Islands and determine if this region is used as a breeding ground by this species

2) Determine if humpback whales in the Tuamotu and Gambier Islands are part of the same population as those whales observed in the Society and Austral Islands.

3) Conduct a census of all whale and dolphin species in the Tuamotu and Gambier Islands, and complete a description of the relative abundance and habitats of each.